Lets sweep the Cardinals!

[steelparrot]

We have our 3-5 going, so we are going to have to score some runs to get wins from this series.


After this series, we play the Cubs, Astros, Padres and Rockies a combined 35 times.

 

[Darkstone42]

I think Karstens is the x-factor in this series. If he pitches well in his start, I think we'll take two of three. If he doesn't, I think the Cardinals will take two of three.

And I know it's early, but as tight as the Central is now, and as tight as I anticipate it will remain through the end of the season, this series is kind of important, especially with the Cardinals only a half a game back from us. The schedule after this series is quite nice, though.

Also, I'm a mod of this board now, so if there are any threads you would like me to sticky or something, let me know. I was thinking of stickying the prediction thread, but I won't do so unless you guys want me to.

 

[Darkstone42]

An addendum:

Despite my 2-1 or 1-2 prediction, I agree with the sentiment of the thread title wholeheartedly, in case any of you mistook my meaning.

 

[sychmd]

hope for the best, 2-1
expect the worst, 0-3
realistic expectation, 1-2
as mentioned earlier, we really need karstens to be the karstens of 2011 and the sooner the better as bedard, even tho healthy, is acting like a 5.
correia, is an unknown and to my surprise, had a decent june.
we are on the road and cards have been relatively hot and scoring.
i will take 1-2 and get to the easy part of our schedule with the best home record in MLB.

 

[Darkstone42]

This is the game I thought we were going to lose for sure.

Nice game, Bucco bats!

 

[sychmd]

this would be a big statement game for the bucs and karstens.
for karstens to be back and be a big # 3 behind mac and burnett.
jump on a hot cards team and take the series in st L.
beat lynn, besides dickey and cain, the dominnating P in NL this year.
to beat down someone on our tail and surging in the standings.

to give a breather to correia nad bedard that they can be 4 and 5.

karstens last year gave us into the 7th it seemed, so should be a benefit to the BP as well.

 

[evolver115]

Pedro goes yard in style!!!! Wooohooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[steelparrot]

What a game last night

Our bats are really heating up now. Pedro grand slam in the top of the first, we are such a different team when he is raking.

 

[Darkstone42]

This is some kind of bounceback start for Karstens.

 

[Darkstone42]

McCutchen left the game with a strained wrist.

That doesn't sound good.

 

[evolver115]

Heard that about Cutch. Hope it is only precautionary.

 

[steelparrot]

He was on the bench and played a bit after the injury, so I'm guessing it cant be to bad.

IF its anything worse than be back after the allstar break, we are in major trouble.

4-2 road trip so far, so a winning road trip is in the bag, a win tommorow would be huge.

 

[steelparrot]

From rotoworld:

Andrew McCutchen, who was removed from Saturday's game with a sore wrist, fully expects to be in the Pirates' starting lineup on Sunday afternoon.
He laughed at the idea of taking a day off, joking that he gets plenty of off days in the offseason. It's great news for the Pirates and fantasy owners alike, as it doesn't appear the injury will cost 'Cutch any time.

 

[Darkstone42]

From rotoworld:

Andrew McCutchen, who was removed from Saturday's game with a sore wrist, fully expects to be in the Pirates' starting lineup on Sunday afternoon.
He laughed at the idea of taking a day off, joking that he gets plenty of off days in the offseason. It's great news for the Pirates and fantasy owners alike, as it doesn't appear the injury will cost 'Cutch any time.

Oh thank goodness.

 

[Etrius24]

Pedro is still not as consistent as I would like... But he is improving..He is walking a bit more and he is hitting homeruns...He might just hit 30 this year... His big time power is certainly for real.

 

[Darkstone42]

Winning today and getting the sweep would be absolutely huge, not just because it's a sweep, not just because it would length our winning streak to five, and not just because the Cardinals are a division rival, but because it would do amazing things for this team's confidence on the road.

 

[Etrius24]

Darkstone

I agree that it is always nice to win on the road... The Bucs are about as good at home as any team in the league right now.. but to really become a serious threat to make the post season they have to have a winning record on the road.. They are getting closer to that, if ever so slowly.

Funny that as the offense started to show a little more life, and the run differential got into the positive.. that the road record and overall record start looking even better.

I guess that is just a testament to how good the pitching has been all season long! a few brief signs of life from the offense and all of a sudden this team is 1 game back and closing in on being 10 games over .500!!!!

I just asking myself if it is possible for this team to be 10 games over at the all star break.... And if that happened.... Wouldn't there be some sort of obligation for the GM to go get a player or two to make a stretch run.

It has been so long since this team has been to the post season that we ( I ) might get excited and fixated on the post season prematurely... A winning record in May is nice.... but you have a lot of baseball left and a lot of surprising, overachieving teams fade away in the dog days of summer.... But if at the all star break this team is 10 games over the .500 mark and in or close to first place... Don't we have to start taking this very seriously???

At what point can we get Pennant fever and not be dreaming???

 

[stillmatic32]

Cutch isn't in the lineup.

 

[Darkstone42]

Well, can't hold that home run against Bedard. It wasn't even in the strike zone...

 

[element1286]

So McKenry has an OPS north of 800 now, pretty unreal.